Guardians closer Cade Smith fired a 98 mph four-seam fastball past Tampa Bay Rays All-Star Yandy Diaz on Thursday, Oct. 15, sealing a critical moment in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. Smith’s clutch performance ensured the Guardians walked away with a tight 3-2 victory, giving them a 2-1 series lead in this best-of-seven ALCS.
That 10-Pitch Duel Was Pure Drama
The tension was absolutely through the roof in the eighth inning at Progressive Field. Smith came into the game with a runner on third and the Rays trailing by just one run. Who’s at the plate? None other than Yandy Diaz, a dude Cleveland traded back in 2018, looking for some serious revenge. You could feel the weight of the moment, man. Smith and Diaz went at it for a ridiculous 10 pitches. Diaz absolutely ripped the ninth one foul, sending it screaming near the third-base line. But then, on the very next pitch, he whiffed. Just straight up missed that 98 mph heater. That’s big-time stuff right there, shutting down an All-Star in the biggest spot.
Smith’s Stone Cold Stare and the Series Lead
You know how some guys get all hyped, bat-flips and chest-pounding? Not Cade Smith. He was the complete opposite of Petey Halpin’s fifth-inning bat-flipping heroics. After striking out Diaz, Smith didn’t even crack a smile. He just made a beeline straight for the dugout, looking totally stoic. It was a perfect picture of composure under pressure. Then he came back out for the ninth inning and locked it down. Four outs, no drama, nothing for the Rays to even think about. That’s how you close a game, right? The Guardians got the 3-2 win, and just like that, they’re up 2-1 in the ALCS. The series shifted, big time.
The Guardians and Rays are battling it out, and with Cleveland grabbing that 2-1 lead, Game 4 is gonna be massive. Every single pitch from here on out just gets bigger, you know? This series is shaping up to be an absolute slugfest!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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